Gutter guards of various types and designs have been used for many years in an attempt to prevent leaves and other debris from entering the main trough of the gutter and obstructing such gutters and downspouts extending therefrom. Examples of prior art gutter guards or screens include the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,198,714; 7,143,549; 7,104,012; 4,036,761.
Many prior art gutter guard systems utilize round or slotted holes which are perforated through the upper surface of the gutter guard. During periods of heavy rain, such round or slotted holes are unable to receive therethrough all of the water flowing down the roof and into the gutter. As a result, a significant amount of water will pass over the holes across the upper surface of the gutter guard and flow over the upper edge of the gutter and onto the ground below and, therefore, not be directed to the trough of the gutter and the downspout connected thereto.